Now
more than ever, Bono has become a household name, not just for
his music, but also more importantly for his humanitarian work.
Bono has shown his dedication to Africa through his Live Aid,
Live 8, Band Aid, and Band Aid 20 concert appearances, as well
as his involvement in his organization DATA, the clothing line
Edun and Amnesty International.
DATA,
which stands for debt, AIDS, trade, Africa, is an organization
founded by Bono whose mission is to help people in Africa by
giving the economic and political systems a jump start, instead
of providing traditional aid. DATA seeks to increase
African participation in world trade, reduce Africa's debt,
and spread AIDS awareness, the knowledge of unfair working rules
and restrictions, and democracy.
DATA
unites many different people and governments for one goal: to
stop the spread of AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa.
Edun
is a clothing line created by Bono and his wife, Ali to help
countries in Africa by practicing fair labor, wages, and working
conditions. Its mission is different from other non-profit organizations.
Each of Edun's factories has been thoroughly inspected to meet
Bono and Ali's high standards. By founding Edun, Bono
and Ali have shifted focus from giving aid, to helping to jump-start
economies in Africa.
Edun
not only sells high fashion goods, but they are also not produced
by child labor. This high fashion line may be a bit pricy, but
is still much cheaper than many other designer brands. One can
have high fashion and save the world at the same time. Edun
is helping jump start Africa's economy, which has been taking
a turn for the worst since the '70's.
Some
people may wonder, why doesn't Bono donate all of his money
to charity instead of working so hard to raise money? His answer
is simple: people wouldn't care. Celebrity activists are more
interesting than donors. The noise created by celebrities gets
people involved. Bono would rather have the world recognize
and support his cause than donate money, which only would solve
the problem for a short time.
